Tall women in sports.
As a tall girl named Cammy, I’ve always felt a special kinship with famous tall women in sports. They’re like the superheroes of the athletic world—towering over the competition and making it look easy. Growing up, these women were my idols, and not just because I could finally look up to someone without getting a crick in my neck.
Take Lisa Leslie, for example. She was a legend on the basketball court, and at 6'5", she made dunking look as natural as tying your shoes. I remember watching her play and thinking, "Maybe being tall isn’t just about always getting the best seat at concerts. Maybe, just maybe, it’s about dominating the paint and blocking shots like a boss." Of course, the next time I tried to emulate her moves in my backyard, I ended up with a basketball to the face, but hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?
And then there’s Maria Sharapova, the 6'2" tennis sensation. Watching her play, I’d imagine myself on the court, hitting serves so fast that the ball practically left scorch marks on the ground. But my own tennis experience was a little less… glamorous. My height gave me a killer reach, but also a tendency to whack the ball straight into the neighboring court. I’d always joke that I was just giving the other players some extra practice.
One of my favorite tall women in sports has to be Brittney Griner. Standing at 6'9", she redefined what it meant to be a dominant force in basketball. Watching her block shots and dunk with ease made me feel like I wasn’t just tall—I was part of a special club. Sure, my own basketball career never quite reached her heights (pun intended), but it gave me plenty of material for self-deprecating humor. Like the time I tried to dunk and ended up tangled in the net like a very confused spider.
And let’s not forget the volleyball stars like Gabrielle Reece, who showed that being tall isn’t just about being closer to the sun—it’s about using that height to dominate at the net. Every time I watched her spike the ball, I’d think, “Yep, that’s what I was meant to do. Use my height for good, not just for hitting my head on doorframes.” I tried to channel that energy into my own volleyball games, but I usually ended up as the designated blocker… of my own teammates' shots.
These women have inspired me in ways that go beyond sports. They’ve shown me that being tall isn’t just about standing out in a crowd—it’s about using that height to your advantage, whether it’s on the court, the field, or just reaching for the last box of cereal on the top shelf. They made me proud to be tall, and even when I was the awkward giraffe in gym class, I knew that somewhere out there, there were tall women dominating the world of sports and making it look oh-so-easy.
So here’s to the tall women in sports—the ones who’ve paved the way, and the ones like me who’ve followed in their (very long) footsteps, sometimes tripping over our own feet along the way. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that being tall might have its quirks, but it also comes with a pretty amazing view.